Pete Davidson's First Tattoo Was Inspired by Ariana Grande's Ex-Boyfriend

The Saturday Night Live star got the rapper's lyrics tatted on his leg when he was 17

By Cydney Contreras Aug 29, 2018 8:08 PMTags
Pete Davidson, Ariana Grande, MTV Video Music Awards, VMAsEvan Agostini/Invision/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Pete Davidson is opening up about the meaning behind his first tattoo. And no, this one isn't dedicated to Ariana Grande.

Instead, the comedian has a piece of ink inspired by none other than Ariana's ex, Big Sean. In an interview with Variety, Pete explained that when he was 17-years-old he and his friend decided to get the saying "Swerve Life" from the rapper's song "Mercy" inked on their legs.  

And while the Saturday Night Live star's tattoos tend to have a deeper meaning, he got this one just because he liked the way the rapper said "swerve" in the song. In his words, they thought "that's going to last forever… so that's on our legs."

Other than the lyrics, Pete has four tattoos dedicated to his fiancé and her music. Davidson has her initials inked, the iconic bunny ears from Grande's Dangerous Woman album and the other is a cloud which pays homage to Sweetener. Then, he and Ariana both have "H2GKMO" tatted on their hands, which stands for "honest to god knock me out," a phrase the singer uses on the regular.

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Ariana Grande & Pete Davidson: Romance Rewind
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Ariana, meanwhile, has decided to get her favorite anime character Chihiro tatted on her forearm because of the strength and resilience the young girl shows in the 2001 film Spirited Away. "Chihiro's growth into a capable individual is a core factor to the movement of Spirited Away's plot. During her adventure in the Spirit World, she matures from an easily-scared girl with a child-like personality to match her age to a hard-working, responsible and brave young girl who has learned to put her fears aside for those she cares for," the artist explained on her Instagram Stories. "To protect her friends and rescue her parents from a spell that has turned them into livestock, Chihiro sheds her former personality and adapts to her environment to become a courageous, quick-witted and reliable girl."

The artist who expertly tatted the Spirited Away character on Grande is the same one who did Ariana's bumblebee tattoo that honors the victims of the Manchester attack.

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Similar to her tattoos, Ariana infused her feelings about Pete Davidson and the victims of the Manchester bombing into her Sweetener album. In various songs the artist honors her love for the comedian in her music, like in the interlude she named after him. "Universe must have my back/Fell from the sky into my lap/And I know you know that you're my soulmate and all that/I'm like ooh, ooh/My whole life got me ready for you," she sings on the track. 

Then, in the heartfelt and emotional song "Get Well Soon", she paid tribute to the victims from the Manchester Arena attack with a 40-second moment of silence at the end of the song, making the track's total running time five minutes and 22 seconds—the date of the tragedy.